Disney Clarifies That Marvel’s Blade’s Exclusivity Is Under Bethesda’s Control

Marvel’s Blade has officially been announced recently at The Game Awards 2023 with a reveal trailer. The official trailer by Arkane Studios ran for 83 seconds and oddly enough, ended in a simple logo with no mention of the game’s target platforms. The lack of information on the upcoming title’s release platforms led to widespread questions among the community concerning the game’s Xbox exclusivity.

One of the speculations by fans was that Microsoft and the owner of Marvel’s Blade IP, Disney might be in negotiations regarding the game’s target platforms. However, as per the gaming journalist, Stephen Totilo, Disney has left the decision to Bethesda. In reply to a fan query, Stephen says on behalf of a Disney representative that the American company would not be involved in the said decision-making process.

We spoke before it was announced. He only hinted to me that I'd be hearing about another dream project that came more from the studio involved than from Disney (a la Indy, too). But the reveal was hours later. And when I followed-up, Disney told me that's a question for Bethesda

— Stephen Totilo (@stephentotilo) December 11, 2023

Despite Disney’s clarification concerning Blade’s Xbox exclusivity, the questions remain. While the IP owner has delegated the decision to Bethesda, the game publisher has outright refused to comment on the matter. With that, fans have now started to bet on a PlayStation port of the Arkane’s title. 

Initially, without an official announcement, it was reasonably assumed that Marvel’s Blade would be an Xbox console exclusive given Arkane’s parent company ZeniMax’s acquisition by Microsoft. Also, almost all titles by Bethesda following the acquisition since early 2021` have been Xbox console exclusives except those tied to prior commitments.

The assumption was further backed by Aaron Greenberg, Vice President of Xbox Games Marketing when they updated their Twitter/X’s profile picture with a Blade artwork suggesting Xbox exclusivity. Aaron later reverted to his previous picture without an explanation. Moreover, recently a popular leaker has claimed that Marvel’s Blade will be exclusive to Microsoft’s platform. Despite all the signs pointing to an Xbox exclusivity for Marvel’s Blade, Bethesda’s silence hints at something in favor of a multi-platform release.

New Aaron Greenberg profile picture suggests Marvel’s Blade is a Xbox exclusive #Xbox

Source: https://t.co/6H82t6s9pa pic.twitter.com/yS7z2O7j5E

— Hunter 🎮 (@NextGenPlayer) December 10, 2023

Moreover, multiple other speculations have been going on in the community. A fan theory emerged pointing at a fair possibility of the title missing the current-gen consoles at its release since according to Bethesda the development “has just begun.” However, as per recent evidence, the game has been in the works at Arkane Lyon for almost two years, which makes a current-gen release quite likely.

Just to add a bit, Marvel’s Blade coming to the PlayStation isn’t entirely an impossible concept. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently asserted that he would willingly eliminate all console exclusivity if given the authority to do so. Moreover, Xbox CEO, Phil Spencer also stated how he wants the PlayStation and Nintendo users to be part of the Xbox community.

Marvel’s Blade is a third-person adventure title set in Paris, where players take on the role of the beloved comic book hero, Eric Brooks. The game is under development by Arkane Studios Lyon.